Franz joseph weiss



2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

(WNO Model.) v Y F. J. WEISS.

GONDBNSBR.

` Patented May 2, 1893.

No. 496,761.v

l l I 1721/625072 en/z 77 i (N0 Mdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. J. WEISS.

GONDENSEB..

No. 496,761. Patented May 2,1893.

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UNITED STATES FRANZ JOSEPH VEISS, OF BASLE,

PATENT OFFICE,

SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE SANGERHUSER AKTIEN-MASOHINENFABRIK AND EISENGIESSEREI, VORMALS I-IORNUNG & RABE, OF SANGERHAUSEN, GERMANY.

CONDENSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 496,761, dated May 2, 1893,

Application filed October 29, 1892. Serial No, I50,368. (No model.)

To all whom it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ JOSEPH Wnrss, of Basle, in the canton of Basle and Republic of Switzerland, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Oondensers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

of steam and other vapors and to apparatus therefor.

It has for its object to obviate a defect which is associated with the use of countercurrent condensers, and occurs whenever they operate with the greatest efficiency and therefore under the most favorable conditions. If in a condenser, a certain weight of steam, coming from a steam engine, an evaporating apparatus or the like, is mixed with a certain weight of water of a certain temperature, the

liquid mixture possesses a definite tempera ture which is always the same whatever may he the system on which the condenser is arranged. In case, however, the apparatus is a counter-current condenser the pressure prevailing therein may be completely lowered by an air pump of suitable size, to the pressure of saturated vapors corresponding to the ternperature of the liquid measure (the hot water running o) whereas that'is physically impossible in the case of a parallel current condenser, and likewise with any condenser having a wet air pump, or could only be attained with an infinitely large air pump. The state in counter current condensation, in which the vacuum has been completely raised to that which corresponds to the temperature of the hot water running o, and where, therefore, the condensation performs its maximum duty or works with a degree of elciency of one hundred per cent. is hereinafter called the ideal point.

Experience has shown that with properly arranged counter-current condensers the said ideal point is easily attainable-iat any time and is actually attained. But when such is the case the remarkable-phenomenon occurs that the water in the condenser rises and en- This invention relates to the condensation ters the air suction pipe terminating at the top of the same. `If between the condenser body and the air pump, which with countercurrent condensation must always be a dry one, no so called water separator is included;

the water passes over into the dry air pump,

pipe, is wide enough for carrying o all the' water which has passed over, no water will pass into the airvpump. It has then been found that as soon as the ideal point is reached, or perhaps even somewhat exceeded, and water, therefore, passes over, the entire quantity of water conducted to the condenser passes over into the water separator, not a drop of water passing through the waste pipe proper. The steamV condenses in a pipe, on its way from theAounter-current condenser, to the water separator, which it traverses together with the yater (or parallel to it) in other words, when reaching' the ideal vpoint the (counter -current) condensation shifts from the (counter-current) condenser body proper, to the water separator as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings and thus becomes a parallel current condensation. Accordingly the water pipe from the water separator, (or,Y

more correctly, from the parallel current condenser body) must be made of such width that with the available weight of water, it is capable of carrying off all the condensed water, then the air pump is protected in all cases against access of water.

It has further been found that, if once the from a counter-current condensation to a par- -passage of water to the separator has corn- 4inenced and the condensation has changed allel current condensation, this state will never cease of itself, but willcontinue until the condensation is stopped. From this results the following inconvenience, that is to say, as under otherwise similar circumstances (equal quantity of the steam to be condensed, equal quantity of cooling water, equal temperature of the cooling water, equal capacity of the .air pump) a lower vacuum is always produced with a parallel current than with a counter-current, the vacuum sinks in the condenser during the state just explained, where the condensation takes place by parallel current.

My invention consists in the combination, with counter-current condensers, of means for bringing the above state, if it has occurred, rapidly to a termination and for shifting the condensation back again to the condenserbody proper'where it takes place again by countercurrent, without any necessity lfor stopping the condensation, all as hereinafter more fully described with reference to the accompany ing drawings. t

Figs. l and 2 are vertical sectional views of a condenser embodying my invention.

According to my improvement as illustrated moreY particularly in Fig.2 of the drawings, I prov-ide means for putting the 'steam pipe B for a moment in direct communication with the a'ir suction pipe E, which at once as soon' as the running of the water through the parallel current body I has begun the lcondensation is then shifted back in a sure manner into the counter-current body'C, "whilef this acts with less certainty if the said state,

has been allowed to last for sometime Aand following manner these means are rendered automatic and immediately operative as soon as the running of water. through the current body I begins. The water barometer` water runningoff, the lexhaust steam pipe B is connected with the air suction pipe E, through a pipe a, b, having-a cock c inserted,

which is usually kept closed by the counter.

weight attached at f, tothe leverf, d for actuating the cocks. is suspended a pail g, in such manner that water'must run into it as soon as the vessel an opening which always remains open. i' As soon as the ideal point isreached and the condensation shifts from C to I, so that the whole volume of water runs off'through I the pail g becomes lfilled,l (despite of its having 'an opening below, because the latter is too small for the entire volume of water which passes over to prevent the immediate filling ot'y vthe pail) the weight of the volumeof water filling it overcomes the counter-weights f, turns the said lever to the position f d and opens the cock c, Fig. 2 whereby, owing to equaliza- "claimisthis means is not used until later on.v In theI From the other end dlonger contains water; it is now emptied at` once through the opening below, whichvalways remains open, and the counter-weight f, closes the cock c, again asshown in Fig. l. This state lasts until the ideal point is reached the next time, whereupon the same operation re commences; longer and longer periods during which the condensation takes place by the counter-current which acts under favorable conditions alternate with very short periods during which Vthe condensation takes place by the parallel current which acts underless favorable circumstances. In the arrangements illustrated, the descending pail g opens the cock c,and allows air to pass into thelair suction pipe E, or into the steampipe B, if the water comes down through pipe I. By reasons of the vacuum which momentarily lsinks a little owing to the admission of air the condensation immediately shifts. from the body I back again to the body C, the water discontinuing to pass through I and I,'the pail g is emptied and the cock c is closed 'again as hereinbefore described with refer ence to Figs. 1 and 2.

In lieu of the cock c, shown, I may use any other suitable closing device,'fo r instance, a llift valve, slide valve, or the like Vwhich is opened by the descending'pail, and then closed again by a Vcounter#weight or. by an i equivalent spring.

Having'described my invention., what I V1. A method of condensing steam and other vapors by counter-currents,V alternating with parallel currents, in which the condensation effected at intervals by the parallel currents is brought back to condensation .by counter- 'currents byv temporarily admitting air into the space of the condenser in which the air 1 has been raretied substantially as specified.

2. A method of condensing steam and other vapors by counter-currents alternating with parallel currents, in whichl the condensation effected at intervals by the parallel currents is brought back to condensation by countercurrents -by temporarily Yadmitting air into ythe spaces. or pipes in connection with the condenser, substantially as specified. I2, runs over; the pawl g, has at its'bottorn 3. In a counter-current condenser, the combination with the air suction pipe of the condenser, of a connection between the said pipe,

and the outer air, of a pail suspended below 5 the overflow for the water barometer pipe of bination with the pipes connected with the condenser, of a connection between the said IOO IIO

pipes and the outer air, of a pail suspended In testimony whereof `I have signed my below the overow for the Water barometer name to this specification in the presence of pipe of the condenser, and means as described two subscribing` witnesses. for temporarily opening the said connection FRANZ JOSEPH WEISS.

5 and adapted to be actuated by theweigbt of Witnesses the Water flushing into said pail, substantially GEORGE GIFFOBD,

, ERNST SCHULZE.

as specied. 

